Gate valve supervisory device



UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcEA 1,990,339 GATE VALVE SUPERVISORY DEVICE Ernest A. Lowe and John R. Hamilton, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, assignors to Automatic Sprinkler Company of America, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware yApplication August'ai, 1932, serial No. 631,13?. a claims. (c1. 277-3) Our present invention relates to means whereby a signal or indication maybe given when a gatevalve controlling the supply of fire extinguishing fluid to a lire rextinguishing system is moved to shut `ofi the flow of-the fluid supplied thereto from a suitable source and admitted to the system by operation` of a suitable main valve, usually automatically controlled byconditions of heat in the protected lire zone.

In `our prior application led September l10, 1930, Serial No. 480,900, We have shown an organization wherein the operationk of. the main gate valve causes the opening of a supplemental valve through which the operating fluid for the alarm or signal is admitted to the latter when the 'gate valve is operated to cut olii the fluid supply.

Our present invention relates to an improvement upon said apparatus and has for its obe ject mainly the simplification of the devices and to provide for the ready attachment ofthe supplemental valve to existing gate valves by securing the same to the yoke 0f said gate valve..

A further object is to dispensetwith the use of a latch for holding saidsupplemental gate valve in open position. l

The invention consists in-the details of construction and combination offpartshereinafter' more particularly described and claimed:

In the accompanying drawing u Fig. 1 is a skeleton side elevation. showing a re extinguishing system of typical form to. which our present invention is applied.

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the` supplemental valve in position attached'to theyoke of the gate valve.

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section through said supplemental'valve and its meansl for attachment. v i

Referringto the drawing 1 indicates a source f of fluid supply such as the water supply/main for the fluid applied in the extinguisher system, while 2 indicates the casing oi a; gate valve of ordinaryform interposedin the passageway between pipe 1 and the main control valve 3 for the extinguisher system and employed at will to cut ofi the' lowfrom source 1 to the main control valve 3. From said main valve 3 the usual main distributing pipe 4 leads. At 5 are indicated ordinary branch pipes and at 6 typical forms of sprinkler outlets or nozzles ordinarily constructed to be opened automatically by abnormal heat conditions in a rire Zone. The means for controlling the main valve may be of any nature and are not shown.

.on the valve stem 16.' `The `valvestem 16 for ,At 'Tis shown a stem of the. gate valve equipupd with proper means forxreciprocating ittofopen" and close the passageway in which itis located,` Said operating means `here illustrated vcomprise,

the usual hand wheel 8 having a hub internally threaded to suitably, engage the threaded pore tion of the valve Astem 7 as shown. The wheel has a bearing against the frame or support 9 constituting the yoke between the arms of which the valve stem is mounted, so that von turning the wheel 8 the stem will V*be moved inonedirection or the other according to the directionA of movement of said wheel. 10 indicates a valve casing of the supplemental valve, said valvevitself being indicated at 11 and being arranged inthe valve casing to close a port 12 through which fluid is permitted 'to pass from a pipe 13 to a 4pipe 14 on opening of said valve. Pipe 13 conveys iluid under pressure frompipe 1or other suitable source and pipe 1 4 'conveys fluid admitted throughvalve 11 toa fluidoperated signalling or alarm device of any suitable construction here shown at 14 as of typical form. Pipes 13 and 14 are suitably joined to the valvecasing on the supplemental valve in any `usual ordesired manner. The iluid pressure. in pipe 13 normally holds the valve 11 seated.`r If -desired thevseating pressure, may be assisted by the spring 15 acting valve 11 reciprocates through suitable watertight bearings in the partitions 1,7 gwithin the casing."

The valve 11 is moved to openiposition by means of` an engaging lever or other device 18 engaging the valve stem ci' valve ll'wand mounted as shown on the underside of the valve casing. Leverv 18 works through a suitable support in a watertight ,flexible bushing as shown allowingv flexibility of ,movement of the. lever `While atthe same time.

sealing the vopening through which said lever passes. r.The .pivot of the lever may be onthe bushingand is indicated at' 19. At its lower or i exterior end lever 18 is furnished preferably with 'an anti-friction wheel 20 whichnormally engages in a suitable depression or undercut inthe side ci vthesvalve stem 7 thus permittingsup v Vplemental valve 11 to Abe retained on itsseat by the "pressure from the pipe' `liwhen the wheel rests in the depression. The depression in the stem is of limited extent so that when movement is communicated to the valve stem to close the gate valvethe end of the operating lever 18 will ride out of the depression and be moved positively to cause its upper end within the supplemental valve casing to move supplemental valve stem for 16k in a direction to open the supplemental valve 11. v v

The means for operating supplemental valve thus provided constitute in eiect a cam device the shoulder of which is the limiting end of the depression in stem 7. Said `cam device affords the positive meansfor actuating the supplemental valve to open the same against its 'closing pressure or for permitting said valve to close when the vend of lever 18 falls into the depression..

As will be seen it is not necessary to provide any sp'ecial latching device for locking' the vvalve 11 open since the cam device on Vthe gate valve stem alfords a positive lock when moved to posi-.- tion to open the gate valve. When the stem8 is *moved longitudinally to free the valve stem 16 from the locking action of the said cam the pressure admitted through 13 to valve 1l closes the same in the position shown.

Inl order to permit the supplemental valve to .be readily applied tothe yokes orrarms 21 of the `'ordinary--gate valve .there 'is provided a clamping t plate22 adapted to engage underneath said yokes `4and heldagainst the same by kmeans of attaching 'rods orr member 23 rwhich depend from the supfplemental, valveY casing or v`body 10 and are v'furnished at-their lower end'withclamping nuts 24 las shown. The lower side or edges of the valve body 10 are located slightly within the inside of the yoke arms 21 to insure stability and Ylocating pins to assist in the assembly and in the holdingof the parts together are indicated vention is operated might be applied to other,`

To-.install this device it-is only necessary to provide the gate valve stem with an vundercut or 'depression ata point which will permit the ac- .tuatinglever 18, whentheparts are assembled; to

en'ter the undercut *or*` depression on the valve stem when the valve is in the wideopen posi'-V tion HThis permitsr the valve 11 to fbe held closed -by pressure -l supplied throughl v`pipe 13.

undercut is of such length that the end of the 'actuated lever rides out of it after the stem has been moved from wide open position towards or :fully to closed position in which vmovement the lactuating lever will rideout'of the groove' and fin passingv over the incline atV the `end thereof will, by `carn'action, force thesupplemental valve zopen. Inapplying the supplemental valve itis :located on'the yoke to *permitV the lower end ofy its actuating lever to; rest in said groove. `The locating `pins assist in this operation.` After .being located properly the two assembly or clampingbolts 23 and whichk have been allowed to pass through openings inV the lower plate 22 are furnished With'the clamping nuts which are then turned to draw upthe clamping plate and fasten The sure when the main valve opening position. K

the device down upon the yokes. An additional dowel pin 25 may be provided for securing supplemental valve body to the gate valve yoke.

In the general operationA of the apparatus the gatevalve is fully open and the supplemental valve is closed by uid pressure since in this position of the gate valve stem the levertherefor ridesin the depressed portion of the groove or depression in the valve stem 7.1 When the valve stem 7 is operated towards closing position of said gate valve the operating lever 18 isiforced by thecam action of. the gate valve stem 7 against the stem of valve llldand the latteris thereby opened and heldpositively in open position by the engagementA of lever 18 with stem 7 whereupon iiuid pressure will pass through pipe 14 to alarm device 14v and give notice that the gate valve is in closed position or has been moved from closed position. When the gate' valve is operated to open said valve the actuating lever 18 for the'supplemental valve can dropinto the depression in the stem 7 of the gate valve and the supplemental valve will then close lan'd-irenialnclosed by .the i'iuid pressure 'from' supply 13. n

What we claim as our invention is: 1; 'Ihe combination substantially as described of an axially reciprocating main valve having a depression in the side 'of its Aaxially. moving valve f stem, a supplemental valvefree to be moved to and retained in closed position by iluid pressure when the main valve is moved away fromy closedto vopen position, the pressure for so 'operating the supplemental valve being derived through t connection independent of the main valve, and

'an operating member' for vsaid supplemental valve engaged in said depression when the main valveis open and adapted to be moved by cam action out of the depression to operate the supplemental valve against the fluid pressure normally holding the same closed when' said main valve is 'moved t or towards closed position. l 2. The combination of 'a 'main valve andsupplementalvalve 'constructed and co-operatingV as specified in `claim f1 combined Withmeans for "clamping thef's'upplerr'iental valve upon the yeke f of the main valve in position'with its operating j AnlbelEngaged Vin the Vdepression'upon theexlOSdfOr projecting portion of the main. valve stem.

f3. AThe combination of an axially lreciprocating j nain lvalve stem( havlnga kdepressionV in its side, a supplemental valve normally held closed vby fifluiclv pressure andan operating lever for the ,latter extending through a waterftight flexible bushing in thecasin'g of the supplemental valve and havingtfa' free endk engaged with the rdepression in the side of the main valve stemout'- side the main valve casing and operable by the movement of the main-valve stem in closing the -main valve to cause 'the supplemental v valve'to openk while `permittingfree movement of rsaid Vsupplemental valve to close under fluid pres- ERNEST AQLOWE.Vv n lJOHN Re HAMILTON.

'stern is moved toward p 

